<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There has (in my opinion) never been a better time to get into vinyl record collecting than right now. I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and assume that anyone who is reading this was not old enough to participate in the heyday of record buying and collecting, so I would say that the ‘20s are our second-best option. Records are everywhere these days, and with that demand has come a kind of vinyl renaissance: new artists have turned to records as a way to promote and sell their music while old records have started to go back into circulation for new ears to enjoy. Coupled with the fact that New Orleans is constantly pushing out interesting new bands and music, we have a city that is overflowing with independent record stores for citizens to get lost in. One of my personal favorites is the White Roach, an independently owned record store in the heart of Uptown NOLA. Danielle Dietze, the owner (and sole employee at the moment), is warm and kind when she greets me for our interview. Danielle’s style is one that is reminiscent of your cool older sister– I felt simultaneously intimidated and inspired by how put together she was. This first impression set the tone for the rest of my visit. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The White Roach is a convenient 7-minute drive– that&#8217;s a 30-minute walk for those without a car– from Tulane University. Located at 5704 Magazine St. next to an eyebrow threading boutique and down the street from Whole Foods, the White Roach sits comfortably in a quaint mint green building. The location, in my opinion, is perfect for both those who are coming to the White Roach with a purpose or those who stumble upon it while window shopping on Magazine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I was literally just walking to Whole Foods one day and saw the ‘</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">for rent</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">’ sign. And I was like: ‘this would be such a cool record store space. This is so cozy and nice. It’s a good area,’” Danielle says.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “And I just called. Just for fun. And then I was like, ‘Man, maybe I can pull this off…’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Danielle has certainly done more than simply “pull it off.” 2022 will be the shop’s 6th year, and through it all– namely a pandemic and infamous Hurricane Ida– The White Roach stands like a beacon of hope for small, female-owned businesses trying to continue in a time of readjustment.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_11575" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11575" style="width: 429px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-11575" src="https://tulanemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-04-18-at-10.55.08-PM-1.png" alt="" width="429" height="321" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-11575" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Mercedes Ohlen</figcaption></figure>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was bad. I mean, it was scary,” said Danielle. “We had to close for like… 6 months almost because of the pandemic.” Even during those unsure times, Danielle once again proved that her business smarts and out-of-the-box thinking were going to get her through the seemingly never-ending uncertainty.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I started doing record deliveries while we closed…I just sold records on our website and literally just like a pizza delivery girl around town, [I would] drive around and drop them off at people’s doorsteps,” she explained. “It was actually really fun.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The store had been doing well in the years pre-pandemic, which led to Danielle knocking out a wall and expanding into the unit next door. Unfortunately, the closure of the store due to COVID-19 resulted in a subsequent struggle to pay the rent for both units, and Danielle was forced to rebuild the wall between the spaces. Even after this downsize, however, Danielle smiles at the memory and assures me that the store’s future is looking bright. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My focus right now is just getting solid records,” says Danielle.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the shop goes back to normal– whatever “normal” even means now– there is a newfound air of strength that envelopes The White Roach. That strength was not only bolstered by the uncertainty of the pandemic, but was also present from the very beginning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My next order of business is to address the elephant in the room (or perhaps the “roach” in the room?): where did the store’s iconic name come from exactly?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[The store] was named after my grandma actually,” said Danielle. What started as a family nickname slowly transformed into the perfect record store title. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve had people come in and be like ‘I used to be called this by my family’ and stuff. All different types like men and women. I don’t know where it really came from but… I just heard it in my family so much and I always thought it was funny,” said Danielle.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_11576" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11576" style="width: 434px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="wp-image-11576" src="https://tulanemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-04-18-at-10.56.57-PM.png" alt="" width="434" height="445" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-11576" class="wp-caption-text">Photo via Mercedes Ohlen</figcaption></figure>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Raised in various parts of the South before settling in the Metairie-New Orleans area– “My whole family is from New Orleans though,</span><b>”&#8211;</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Danielle is no stranger to NOLA’s music scene.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I first started doing music stuff when I was in high school,” said Danielle. She started at the radio station WWOZ (which she still has a show on every once and a while) before being hired at the House of Blues while in college.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then after 6 months, they hired me as a full-time marketing employee, and I was a sophomore. I was in charge of the interns that were older than me. I was like ‘this is so strange.’” After a brief stint in Nashville at the Johnny Cash Museum, Danielle found her way back to New Orleans, helping friends around the city put on shows and events– and thank goodness she did. The White Roach has become a staple of Uptown’s storefronts and has earned its rightful place as a community favorite. Without a doubt, the White Roach has provided me with one of the most consistent experiences everytime I go. With a great selection of records, a fun atmosphere, and a mutual respect between Danielle and the customers, the White Roach will provide every record collector or casual vinyl peruser with exactly what they need.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_11577" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11577" style="width: 398px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="wp-image-11577" src="https://tulanemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-04-18-at-10.57.41-PM.png" alt="" width="398" height="399" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-11577" class="wp-caption-text">Photo via @TheWhiteRoachRecords on Instagram</figcaption></figure>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thankfully, The White Roach is slowly starting to go back to their roots. On the 23rd of April, The White Roach will be celebrating Record Store Day in their own special way: a show and pop-up after their covid-induced hiatus. Local group </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/popetheband/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pope</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will be playing as well as singer </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/okayshalom/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shalom</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/xgregmendezx/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greg Mendez</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from Brooklyn and Philly respectively. Along with live music, there will be a clothing pop-up from </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bad_taste_club/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bad Taste Club</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, various giveaways, and vinyl from </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carparkrecords/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carpark Records</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/saddlecreek/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Saddle Creek Records</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The event is free, but donations are suggested in order to compensate the bands. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you would like to learn more about The White Roach you can visit them on Instagram </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">@TheWhiteRoachRecords or visit their website </span><a href="https://thewhiteroach.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TheWhiteRoach.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You can also visit their store located at </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">5704 Magazine Street.</span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Featured Image via Mercedes Ohlen.</span></i></p>
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<div class="wp-biographia-container-top" style="background-color: #FFEAA8; border-top: 4px solid #000000;"><div class="wp-biographia-pic" style="height:100px; width:100px;"><img alt='' src='https://tulanemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/mercedes-close-copy-e1679930693496.jpg' srcset='https://tulanemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/mercedes-close-copy-e1679930693496.jpg 2x' class='wp-biographia-avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-biographia-text"><h3>About <a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/mercedes-ohlen/" title="Mercedes Ohlen">Mercedes Ohlen</a></h3><p>Mercedes was The Crescent’s Editor-in-Chief from 2022-2023. She graduated from Tulane with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She enjoys going to the movies, fashion, and writing about the great city of New Orleans. She will be pursuing a career within the entertainment industry upon her graduation from Tulane. No topic is too obscure, and no story too niche. Roll Wave!</p><div class="wp-biographia-links"><small><ul class="wp-biographia-list wp-biographia-list-text"><li><a href="mailto:&#109;&#111;hle&#110;&#64;&#116;&#117;&#108;an&#101;.ed&#117;" target="_self" title="Send Mercedes Ohlen Mail" class="wp-biographia-link-text">Mail</a></li> | <li><a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/mercedes-ohlen/" target="_self" title="More Posts By Mercedes Ohlen" class="wp-biographia-link-text">More Posts(38)</a></li></ul></small></div></div></div><!-- WP Biographia v4.0.0 -->

Vinyl Dreams in the Crescent City: The White Roach Record Store
